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SVVERNET Sept. 10, 1929;

CAR HEATER -0 riginal Filed June 21, 1927 Reissued Sept. 10, 1929.

- UNITED .STATES snnems vnannr; or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

7 can HEATER" Original No. 1,705,550, dated March. 19, 1929, Serial No. 200,328, filed June 21, 1927. Application for a reissue filed July 24;, 1929. Serial No, 380,738.

This invention relates to an improvement in heaters for automobiles, buses, trucks and other vehicles operated by internal com bustion engines, and particularly to a heater whichis operated by the heat of the exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine.

Various means for heating the interior of automobiles,-buses, trucks and other vehicles,

operatedby internal combustion engines from 10 the exhaustheat of the enginehave been de-' vised, In some of these heaters the exhaust gases are conducted directly through the passenger compartments, in others a bypass receiving a portion of the exhaust gases and conducting them through a"suitable radiator has been used..

In general these heaters are subject to seriou's difiiculty, because they sometimes become j overheated to the extent that thedirt and dust. which is collected around them is burned and gives off an unpleasant odor. Leaks also oc cur admitting carbon monoxide 1nto the passenger compartment. Metal pans haveto be furnished with these heaters so thatv when The type ofheater which uses hot air heated 0 by the exhaust pipe and then led into the passenger compartment is subject to the difiiculty that all the objectionable odors around.

the exhaust pipe and the engine areconv'ey'ed with thehot 'air'into the-vehicle, as well as. a

lotof road dust'and dirt, 1

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a motor vehicle heater which will I obviate the above disadvantages and will satisfactorily. and efiiciently heat the vehicle body and which is self-regulated.

They also increase the back impossible to turn the heater is another object of this invention tov provide a heater for a motorvehicle body operating from the heat of the exhaust gases. .which may be under accurate control at all times, and which will heat eificientlyi It is a further object of this invention to provide an automobile heater, including as the heating medium a vapor condenser system 7 i v suitably connected with the exhaust pipe to receive heat of vaporization therefrom, and

.to conduct the vapor to a condenser radiator where the vapor gives up its heat and is condensed and returned to be revaporized by the exhaust heat.

gases, will not become overheated and will It is still another object of this invention to provide-a vaporrheater for a motor vehicle which, regardless of the heat of the exhaust not give off obj ectionable odors or permit ex-- I haust or other gases to compartment.-

Another object of the invention is to proenter the passenger ivide a simple closed system vapor heater,

which will be of low initial cost, easy to install and inexpensive to operate.

1 jFurther objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings which illustrate a preferred form of embodiment of my inventiona'nd in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a closed car body showing the location of my im- I proved heater-therein.

Fig.2 is a side elevation partly 'showlng a const'ructionof the heater.

in'Fig. 2 illustrating the connection between the heater and the exhaust pipe, as well as the, 2

control valve.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation partly in section similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of control means.

in sectio Fig. 3 is an end view of the heater shown I pipe and to be connected'by a flexible hose or conduit 22 to the condenser 24 enclosed haust pipe 16 shown in dotted lines between the engine (not shown) and the muffler-18.

It is obvious that this heater might be placedin either an open or a closed car and may be placed in either the front or the rear compartment thereof, or may be used on buses, trucks and other automotive vehicles as desired.

In the specific form of the invention illustrated, the heater comprises a hollow shoeor reservoir 20 to be attached over the exhaust in a suitable frame 26. The reservoir or vapor generator-2O is preferably made of a thin metal which may be made to conform to the shape of the exhaust pipe by means of the bands 28 suitably fastened byinuts and bolts 29. The shoe 20 is made hollow to. en-

close a small portion of the heating liquid and for the average passenger automobile need hold only approximately five table-'1 spoons of theliquid.

To the upstanding nipple on the heater- .shoe 20 a flexible "conduit 22 is secured by a fluid tight connection and is adapted to conduct the fluid vapor from the reservoir to the condenser 24. The condenser 24 is preferably-a stamped VELPOI'rPI'OOflYlGtEL tank provided with a sump or similar drain portion24t and an outwardly projecting nipple 24* to receive the upper end of the vapor conduit 22. A regulating means consisting of an enclosing sleeve 30 with an extended projecting handle 31 is placed over the conduit 22 nearthe sump or drain ofithe condenser 24. As will be understood this sleeve 30 of the regulating means merely enclosesthe conduit 22 and is adapted to raise the end 26 ,of the heater as shown in Fig. 3.

Suitable markings on the end'adjacent the extreme positions will indicate by inspection, when the heater is on or ofi.

The operation of this deviceis as follows: A suitable fluid such as water or alcohol,

' carbon tetra chloride, or the like, or any combination of fluids, having a boiling point between 150 and 212 degrees F., is placed in the shoe or reservoir 20 fthrough thefllling cap 2O using a limitedarneunt, as before i mentioned. The condenser and reservoir are then hermetically sealed preferablyunder a slight vacuum and the shoe is placed on the exhaust pipe. Under operation ofthe motor, the exhaust gas will sufficiently h eat the liquid to vaporize it, and the vapor will rise to the condenser 24 and will give sufficient heat from the condenser to warm the in terior of the vehicle. The vaporized fluid is cooled by this exchange of heat, and condensed, and will return thru the conduit 22 to the reservoir 20 and in'turn will again be heated, vaporized, give ofl its heat in the condenser, and return to the reservoir, thus maintaining a continual circulation and efiectively warming the car. In case the car compartment becomes too 'warm, by merely will be given ofl. I

No serious effects will take place because of continued heating,'inasmuch'as the quan tity of liquid is so small that it will all be vaporized and the vapor will only be superheated and the superheat pressure of the vaporwill not cause rupture of the metallic condenser :shell or unduly increase-the temperature] By using a liquid having a suitable vaporization point, the heater becomes quickly heated when the engine has started and continues to give off heat-until all the vaporis condensed. i

A modified form of control-means to shut ofi theheater is shown in Fig. 4 in which a sump portion 35 in the condenser 36 is so enlarged as to receive all the condensed fluid to he used in the system. ,An upwardly projecting pipe 37 which is an extension of the nipple to which the conduit 22 is connected prevents the fluid when condensed from returning to the shoe 20! A cork or metallic collar 38 attached to the handle 39'is adapted 'ther vaporization will stop, and no more heat to entirely fill the sump portion and when in its lower position will permit the conpermitting all the liquid to remain inzthe sump 35 so that no further vaporizationcan take place. A flexible diaphragm 40 of suitable material, such as v a metallic bellows,

makes an air-tight joint around the handle ,A modified form of vapor, generator or reservoir is shown in Fig. 5 which is adapted to be used in conjunction with the exhaust mufiier 118. The muflier gases are several hundred degrees hotter than the outside of the exhaust pipe and forthis reason, the element 120 may be made somewhat smaller and yet be equally efiective. It will v be held in 'place, similarly to the shoe shown in Figs. 2 and 3, by a suitable clamp 28, fastened by a securing means 29 and 1s adapted to retain packin '121 to securely close the opening made in t e mufiler 118 and to prevent rattles.

In operation this form vaporizes the liquid much qu'icker than the other because of the higher temperature; There will also be nov lagging required to retain the heatfand all'that will be required to adapt it to a muf-' fler will be to drill a suitable hole therein.

i From the above detailed description, it is seen that a very simple and yet highly eflec-- tive car heater is'provided in which the heat can be quickly and adequately transferred from the source, the exhaust pipe, to the heat radiator in the car body, and because of the superheating of the fluid, increased tempera ture may be obtained without rupture of the parts. "When less heat is desired, operation of the control means will either shut the device ofi 'entirely or solregulate it as to restrict the fluid returning to the vapor generator to an amount sufiicient to produce by its vapori-' zation the desiredamount of heat. When the device is warined and the motor tur'ned bit, by merely closing the heater off, the retained fluid will retain its heat temporarily. In such adevice as disclosed, there can be no objec tionable odors because there is no source of ator located in the compartment to be heated,

' a single exteriorly closed and interiorly uncontrolled conduit between the heating chamber and the radiator, a volatile liquid in said j heating chamber-adapted to be vaporized by the heat of the exhaust, and to .be condensed in the radiator to give off its heat and return to the heating chamber for revaporization, and means to control the heater by preventing the return of liquid to the heating chamber.

, 2. A vapor heating system for automobiles,

comprising a vapor generator, a condenser radiator, a single interiorly uncontrolled conduit to conductthe vapor from the generator to the radiator and to conductcondensate from the radiator to the generator, and means to prevent return of the condensate to the generator, said system being sealed to pre vent the escape of vapor therefrom.

3. A heater for automotive vehiclescompartment of the vehicle, means to warm the passenger compartment,- comprising a con denser receiving said vapor, sa1d conductlng means being continuously open interiorly and. acting to return the condensed liquid from the condenser to the vaporizing means, and adjustable means to prevent the return of con-. densed liquid.

scribed, the combination with the exhaust pipe of the engine, of a heater shoe adapted-to be heated by said exhaust pipe when said engine is operated, a liquid in said shoe to be vaporized by said'heat and means'in the automobile body to receive and condense said vapor, a conduit continuously open interiorly to conduct the vapor to the condensing means and to return said liquid to be again revapor 4. In an automobile heater of the class ,de-

i'zed for the purpose of heating the body, and adjustable means to prevent return of said fluid without obstructing said conduit for the purpose of controlling the heater.

5. In a heaterfor automotive vehicles, propelled by an internal combustion engine,

means to convey heat from the exhaust gas 7 comprising a vaporizer, aliqiiid whose boiling point is substantially equal to or lower than that of water, common means continuously open interiorly to conveywthe vapor from the vaporizer to the vehicle body and to return the condensed liquid to the vaporizer, means in the vehicle body to receive and condense '7 said vapor and heat the vehicle'body, and control means preventing the return of the condensed liquid to the vaporizer without interiorly obstructing the liquid returning means, thereby preventing transfer of heat to the vehicle body. l 5 I r '6. In a vapor heater for motor vehicles, a sealed vapor condenser system 7 comprising means. to vaporize a liquid, means to condense said vapor, a continuously. openv vapor and condensate conductor connecting the .vapor heater and the condensing means, and means to regulate the amount of vapor formed by preventing condensed liquid from returning to' the vaporizing means without interiorly obstructing the conducting means.

-- 7. In a vapor heater for motor car bodies, a vaporizing chamber containing a liquid, uni tary, common means to conduct vapor to the car body and to return condensate to the vaporizing chamber, condenser means to condense said vapor and warm the car body, and means inside the condenser and operative from the outside of said condenser to regulate the heat conveyed by preventing the return of the cooled and condensed liquid to the vaporizing chamber Without interiorly 0bstructing the common conducting means.

' SERGIUS .VERNET. 

